The invention relates to a method for simulation of mechatronic systems.
Mechatronic systems of this type include at least one mechanical and electrotechnical/electronic component combined to a unitary system as far as construction, configuration and operation are concerned. This fact is known under the term “mechatronic”.
Conventionally, simulation of a mechanism is implemented either through application of multi-mass models, i.e. models with concentrated springs and masses whose differential equations are formed quasi “by hand”, or preferably with so-called FEM models. Such FEM models or finite-element models are preferred in view of their greater accuracy, however they involve highly complex calculations.
In the latter case, a fundamental equation of motion is as follows:M·{right arrow over (ü)}+D·{right arrow over ({dot over (u)}(t)+C·{right arrow over (u)}(t)={right arrow over (F)}(t)  (1)wherein                M is the mass matrix,        D is the damping matrix,        C is the stiffness matrix,        {right arrow over (F)} are the nodal forces,        {right arrow over (u)} is the nodal displacement vector, and        t is the time.        
This calculation instruction is integrated in such a finite-element model in a manner known to the artisan.
In order to solve the fundamental motion equation (1), diverse time integration processes are used which are enormously time consuming because the width of the integration step has to be selected small enough to maintain an integration error within acceptable limits to satisfy the demand on the accuracy.